TRADE SHOW WILL BRING SAN FRANCISCO’S VICTORIAN HOMES INTO CITY’S GREEN FUTURE

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — More than 1,000 Victorian homeowners, antiques enthusiasts, artists and tradesmen will gather at the Fort Mason Center Sept. 29 for the first annual Victorian Home Trade Show, an event dedicated to the history, restoration, decoration and building of Victorian homes. The show promises attendees a glimpse into the rich history of one of the city’s most recognizable icons, and a look at the future of ecologically sustainable Victorian homes. “There are no new Victorians getting built,” said realtor Bonnie Spindler, San Francisco Victorian specialist and event organizer, of the show’s importance. “These special buildings are becoming rare like an old coin and should be preserved and cared for. Victorians are well-crafted homes, intended for entertaining and to be lived in.”

Visitors will be invited to attend lectures by restoration and decoration experts and browse vender booths. For a $10 entrance fee, Victorian homeowners, historians and the simply curious can learn from the best in the business about the rich history of the distinctive homes that line the streets of the city, and meet craftsmen who can help maintain them into the 21st century.

Mike Odynski of clean energy company SolarCity will explain to Victorian homeowners how they can switch to clean energy while maintaining the authenticity
of their historic homes.

Victorian homeowners can join the overwhelming majority of Americans who support the use of solar energy. A 2012 surveyconducted by Hart Research for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) found 92 percent of those polled feel it is important to use solar energy, a number backed up by the rapidly increasing installations of solar panels in the U.S. each year.

While some preservationists have labeled the push for energy conservation as a death sentence for old houses due to the potential expense of green renovation, Odynski and others committed to protecting San Francisco’s historic homes will show Victorian owners how they too can be a part of the green movement.

By switching to solar energy their occupants can ensure these houses remain homes for the city’s residents — not relics.

The event is sure to draw a crowd, as the market for home renovation and décor continues to grow. Industry analysts estimate sales will continue to
grow — market research group Mintel expects home décor sales to reach $38.6 billion in 2016, up 27 percent from 2011.

The Victorian Home Trade Show is sponsored in part by the Victorian Alliance of San Francisco, a not-for-profit organization committed to the preservation and restoration of Victorian and other historic structures. Some other top Trade Show sponsors include Opes Advisors, Cole Hardware, Ohmega Salvage and Zephyr Real Estate.